Echo
by MarkOfAlitheia
Summary: Sonic always saw the world through black and white. Either someone was good or they weren't. Life was simple. Justice was simple. He was always sure of what should and shouldn't be done. Now, nothing was certain anymore. Because that THING was everything he feared. It HAD to be his enemy. Only now it's fate rests in Sonic's hands. And for the first time, he doesn't know what to do.
1. Infiltration

**Me:**** *singing* **

**Happy Birthday to me!**

**I am seventeen!**

**I wrote a new story!**

**Happy Birthday to me!**

**This particular story I've been wanting to write since I was seven. I rewrote the beginning at least nine times over a period of two-and-a-half years before finally being satisfied with it. That said, I hope you enjoy!**

It was a setup.

Everyone could see it.

Their small group of four charged through one of the numerous hallways in Eggman's not-so-secret base, fighting any robots that happened to be in their way. There were too few to be of any real threat, though, and the limited defense along with the ridiculously easy pass codes just screamed 'trap'.

Unfortunately, Knuckles too focused on his emerald to back out now. Amy, practically an adult, didn't want to seem weak by suggesting they retreat. Sonic could also see the obvious ploy, but, well…

Sonic was drawn to traps like a bear to honey. It didn't matter how many times he got stung; he kept coming back for more. Danger thrilled him. He thrived under pressure, and loved beating the odds. Coming out of another trap unscathed was just another way to prove to the world that he was unbeatable. Besides, they'd never posed him any real threat before, just a nice, refreshing challenge.

Tails was well aware of the danger of the situation, but he knew his brother well enough to know that nothing he said or did would get them to avoid it, short of faking his own death. He sighed, watching as Sonic took out one of the few sentry robots guarding the hallways, his green eyes glowing with excitement. He loved his brother, but sometimes he wished Sonic wouldn't be so reckless, would actually pause and consider the potential consequences of his actions.

"Hey Tails," Sonic called, startling the young fox from his thoughts. "We getting any closer?"

Pushing his worries to the back of his mind, Tails glanced down at his scanner. Two blips blinked on the smooth screen, pinpointing the location of the chaos emeralds. He looked up and shook his head. "No closer than the last time you asked."

Sonic paused a moment and crossed his arms. "Man, that's irritating."

Amy stopped beside him, and put her hands on her knees, out of breath. "Well, that settles it, then," she panted. "Those readings are definitely moving."

Tails immediately recognized the subtle hint toward the trap they were barging into. She glance back and forth between the group, probably searching for any sign of hesitation. When she met Tails eyes, he gave her a small, helpless shrug: 'You tried.'

Knuckles didn't catch the message, and honestly, didn't care either way. "What about the master emerald?"

Tails held back a sigh and shook his head. "Still no sign of it. I'll let you know the moment I see something."

Knuckles growled in annoyance. "Are you sure it's not one of the dots on your screen?"

"Absolutely. These signatures are defiantly chaos emeralds, or something with a similar amount of energy. The master emerald's reading would be much bigger."

Amy frowned and spoke up, still trying to make a point. "Does anybody else get the feeling that we're being led somewhere?"

Tails nodded, glad she'd given him an excuse to talk about it. "I agree with Amy. These signatures haven't just been moving away from us. They've also changed directions multiple times."

Knuckled immediately glared at the fox. "You mean the scanner's been leading us in _circles_?"

"Not exactly," Tails assured him, feeling slightly nervous under the guardian's scowl. He studied his scanner, avoiding his eyes. "It's been taking us deeper and deeper into the complex. I'm not entirely sure…" He hesitated. "I think Eggman may have something waiting for us up ahead."

Sonic grinned as he shifted again, already antsy. "Only one way to find out." Without waiting for a reply, he took off again down the corridor. Knuckles followed him, the previous conversation already pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on finding his emerald.

Amy glanced at Tails, her features slightly worried, and took out her hammer, signifying her suspicions: they were probably going to end up fighting for their lives. Again.

Sighing, Tails continued after his friends, Amy at his heals. After a moment, he glanced at his scanner to once again plot their course. He stopped. _What the…?_

"What is it, Tails," Amy asked, coming up beside him.

Tails frowned. "There's another signature."

Amy peered over his shoulder. Sure enough, where there had once been two blips, there were now three. "The master emerald?" she guessed.

The fox shook his head. "No. The readings are all wrong."

"Another chaos emerald, then?"

"…Maybe," Tails muttered, his expression showing that he didn't quite believe it. He continued on, his eyes glued to his scanner, watching the third blip. Amy strode beside him, keeping an eye out for any defense that Sonic or Knuckles might have missed, her hammer ready at her side.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Tails stopped again. "It's getting closer."

"What?" Amy peered over his shoulder as the fox elaborated.

"Actually, _we're_ getting closer." He frowned. "The energy traces we've been following have been moving away from us, but this one seems to be stationary." He continued again, walking faster now, so that Amy had to break into a light jog to keep up.

"Tails?"

"I was right, see?" He showed her the screen, now bobbing up and down with his movements. As he continued down the hall, the third blip slowly separated from the group, staying in place while the other two moved on, leading them deeper.

"Maybe _that's_ the chaos emerald," Amy suggested, "And the other two are just decoys."

Tails frowned again, still unsure. "Maybe."

The two kept walking. Amy could hear the sounds of destruction up ahead; undoubtedly some stray robot had just been torn apart. When the sound ended, Sonic suddenly dashed back towards them. "What's the holdup, bro?", he asked, hopping from one foot to the other impatiently. "We've pretty much cleared the whole hallway already, only there's this door we can't get through and-"

"Tails thinks he found something," Amy interrupted, motioning to Tails' scanner.

"Yeah?" Sonic zipped behind him. "What'd ya find?"

"I'm not sure," Tails mumbled. "It's an energy reading, but I can't make out what…" He halted, looking from the scanner to a nearby wall and back. He walked up to the wall and placed a hand against it. "Here. It should be right here. Whatever's giving off the reading is on the other side of this wall."

At that moment, Knuckles caught up with them. "What's taking you so long?" he growled. "We need to get to the-"

"Master emerald," Sonic finished. "Yeah, yeah, we're getting there. Give the guy a sec, will ya? He just found another chaos emerald."

"It's not a chaos emerald," Tails corrected. "But it _is_ giving off energy."

Amy glanced at him. "A new device for taking over the world?" she guessed.

"Possibly."

"Well then," Sonic said, crouching low. "Let's bust through and destroy it."

Knuckled folded his arms. "That's your solution for everything, isn't it."

"Look who's talking."

"Boys…" Amy warned, stepping between them and sending each a frown. "Don't start."

"It's…gone." Tails mumbled, staring at his screen.

The trio looked at him. "What?"

"The signature," he clarified. "It just disappeared."

Sonic and Amy both crowded around him, peering over his shoulders. There were two blips again. They hadn't moved, as though they were waiting for them.

"So your scanner is faulty," Knuckled reasoned. "Now let's _go_." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and continued down the hallway. Sonic shrugged and went after him.

Tails frowned and bit his lip, feeling insulted. His scanners didn't get 'faulty'; he'd made sure of that years ago. He doubted, however, that he could convince Sonic and Knuckles, both of whom still had trouble working a computer, of that.

Amy sighed. "Come one, Tails." She waited patiently for the teen to finish pouting and continue moodily after the others before following him.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Dr. Ivo Robotnic glared at the screen before him, watching as his enemies made their way down their designated path. He was surprised none of them had mentioned the trap yet. He knew they must be aware of it. He'd made sure of that.

The whir of a nearby door pulled him from his musings. "Master, I have done as you have ordered," droned a metallic voice.

Robotnic swiveled to face his creation. "Metal. What took you so long? They nearly broke through the wall! That would've ruined everything and probably destroyed the experiment!"

Metal Sonic bowed his blue metallic head. A sign of respect. "I assure you, I closed off the signal as quickly as was possible."

"And why was it even anywhere near the hallway! You _knew_ Tails was using a scanner to read energy, and the experiment is giving of plenty!"

Metal looked his creator in the eye. "Master, the experiment is in a delicate stage of it's creation. Moving it would have resulted in its termination."

Robotnic stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "Hmm…I suppose you're right. Still, no harm done. They're continuing on as planed. Monitor them for me, and inform me when Sonic reaches his destination." He smiled. "I want to see how my newest creation is coming along."

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

After a bit more walking, Tails and Amy reached the door Sonic had told them about, finding the aforementioned hedgehog zooming from one side to the other, unable to keep still. Knuckles was leaning against a nearby wall, his eyes closed as he put up with Sonic's restlessness.

Well, for the most part.

"Remember what I said about ADHD?" Knuckles asked, cracking one eye open and looking at Tails. He motioned to the blur that was Sonic. "There's your proof."

The aforementioned hedgehog nearly ran into the wall as he suddenly whirled around and skidded to a stop. "Huh? Proof?"

Knuckled frowned at him, but there was humor in his expression. "And as for the lack of attention…"

"ADHD," Tails explained to his confused brother. "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder."

Sonic stared at him blankly until the only word he recognized registered. "Hey!" he barked indignantly, glaring at an amused Knuckles. "I do _not_ have a disorder!"

"_Boys_!" Amy shouted, stepping between them again. "Seriously, the door?"

"Oh, right, the door," Sonic repeated. "Tails, bro, can you open it?"

The fox had already unscrewed a panel on the wall and was hooking up his scanner, or at the moment, computer, to the exposed wires. A few seconds later, the door creaked and groaned, opening slowly.

"Sweet!" Sonic cheered, and they all took a look inside. The room before them was huge and circular. Directly across from them, resting innocently behind glass, were two shining chaos emeralds.

"Where's the master emerald?" Knuckles immediately demanded.

"Dude." Sonic shook his head. "I don't think he has it."

"You don't think at all."

"No, seriously, I think your girlfriend stole it again."

The echidna reddened, whirling to glare at Sonic. "She. Is _not_. My girlfriend!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow, trying and failing to hold back a smirk. "Really? You sure we're talking about the same girl?"

"_Sonic_…"

"'Cause Rouge…Weeeeell, you know how often she stops by on that island of yours, and I _seriously_ doubt it's all for your stupid rock, 'specially since she's got so many already." Sonic openly grinned now, and was about to tell Knuckles what a lovely shade of purple he was turning when Tails spoke up.

"We shouldn't continue."

Sonic turned to his brother, confused. "What?"

The young fox was frowning, staring at the ground, looking deadly serious. "We should head back."

"Why?"

He glanced up at his brother, and Sonic was surprised by depth of his gaze. "Sonic, you know this is a trap, right?"

At the question, the hedgehog breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, yeah, of course." He grinned. "But that's never stopped us, huh pal?"

Tails nodded. "I know. But there's something…off about this one."

"What?"

"Something's wrong."

Sonic stared at his brother, trying to read him. "_What's_ wrong?"

"I don't know, but Sonic…" Tails looked him in the eye. "I've got a bad feeling about this, really bad. It's been eating away from me since we got here."

Amy nodded her agreement.

Sonic didn't get it. "Tails, it's a _trap_. Of course there's something off. The whole things a setup."

"No, that's not _it_." The teen raised his hands and lowered them again, searching, struggling for the right words. "I've just…there's this feeling, like…there's something…something…"

Knuckled interrupted. "You want to give up two _chaos emeralds_? Based on _feeling_?"

Sonic sighed. His brother was usually right. And with the way he was looking at him, the hedgehog couldn't say no. "Look, buddy, if you want, we can go back."

"What?"

"Quiet, Knuckles." He turned to Tails, who seemed indecisive. "Seriously, bro, just say the word. We can always get these emeralds later."

Tails thought for a long time, repeatedly glancing in at the obviously rigged room before them. Then, he nodded. "Let's go back."

Sonic grinned. "Alrigthy then!" Ignoring Knuckles protests, he took off down the corridor, clearing the way. Soon, he was far ahead of them, but he didn't worry about Tails or Amy. Since this was, technically, a retreat, he knew Knuckles would stick with them, guarding their backs. Not that Amy couldn't handle it, but with a trap, you never know. Besides, the way they had come just led them down one continuous hallway, so he had no reason to worry about getting lost.

Grinning, Sonic picked up speed, enjoying the feel of the still hallway air rushing against his quills. In seconds, he was nearly out. Suddenly, the blue hedgehog screeched to a stop. What? Were was the exit? Confused, Sonic stared up at a wall he hadn't remembered being there.

Dead end. He glanced around, wondering what he'd missed, and soon spotted a door alongside one of the walls. Huh. Maybe they _had_ veered off the main hallway for awhile. He'd probably been too busy fighting one of the robots to notice they'd passed through a door.

Cautiously, Sonic stepped up to the door. It immediately whirred open. Yep. He could see how he could've missed this. Any doubts flew from his mind as he spotted the hallway on the other side of the door. At the end of it was the broken wall where they'd first burst through, and beyond that, greenery. He could smell trees on the cool breeze that drifted over him. Yep, this was the way.

It wasn't until he stepped through the door, hearing it whir shut behind him, that he realized the breeze and the scent it carried had been coming from the wall. The one he hadn't remembered being there…

Sonic whirled around and again walked up to the door. It stayed shut. Sonic immediately began hitting the door, trying to punch through it. His punches were soon followed by kicks and, eventually, spin-dashes as he tried to saw through the door. He rammed against it, jumped back and looked it over. There wasn't even a scratch. He whirled around, back to the opening in the wall, and stared.

The greenery, the hole, even the hallway was flickering. Eventually, they disappeared altogether, revealing a small, boxlike room.

A hologram. It had been a hologram.

Now feeling what Tails must have been describing, he turned again and pressed against the door. "Hey, _Knux_!" he shouted "Knuckles! I could really use your help right now!" He pressed his ear against the door and listened. Nothing. He was too far ahead of them. Well, they had to get there eventually. Sighing, Sonic sank to the floor, leaning against one of the way-too-close walls, and waited.

A hissing sound immediately filled the tiny room. Starting, Sonic jerked his head upward, toward the noise, and started to panic. Gas. Eggman was flooding the room with gas! He wouldn't be able to call for help if he was unconscious!

Or _dead_.

Praying it was sleeping gas, Sonic swallowed, jumped to his feet, and began pounding on the door again. "Hey! _Hey_! Guys! Can you hear me?" Thud. "Can anyone here me?" Thud. "Knuckles? Tails?" Thud. "Amy?" Thud. "Can you guys…" He trailed off, feeling dizzy as the gas replaced his oxygen. "Can you…" He jerked his head up. It had started sinking. _Man, this stuff acts fast._ Sonic tried to shake off the heaviness already settling on him. "…hear me?…I need…" He coughed. "…I need your help…" Gravity was increasing. He sank to his knees, trying to fight it. "Can…Anyone…" He hit the floor. "….Hear…"

Everything went black.

**Me:**** Man, that was fun. It's not to often I get to write stuff like this, especially with the all of the epicness I have planned. Want to know what's going on? Click the shiny blue fast-forward button.**

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**V**


	2. Trapped

**Me:**** Disclaimer (that I may have forgotten in the first chapter): I own none of the original Sonic characters, though there may be one or two introduced character who are, for the most part, MINE! Enjoy!**

Sonic's eyes slowly drifted open. He groaned slightly, shifted, tried to turn over and fall back asleep. He was so uncomfortable, and the ground beneath him was hard and cold. _Sonic_, his mind informed him, _You've fallen asleep on the roof again_. He sighed. When would he learn?

Despite his discomfort, he still wasn't quite ready to wake up. He shifted again, now on his stomach, and sighed deeply, the side of his face meshing into the roof below him at he started drifting off again.

He smelled metal.

Sonic's eyes snapped open. There was a metal door not two feet from his nose. What?…Oh. He groaned, this time with annoyance as his memories came flooding back. Slowly, wearily, he sat up, keeping one eye closed as he hadn't yet adjusted to the light. His other eye scanned the room he was in. Small. Boxlike. The same room. …Or was it?

Glancing down, the hedgehog noticed he had been lying on a table of some sort, a surface that hadn't been in the room he'd passed out in. His blood chilled when he saw the wires. They were snaking up from a panel near the floor, reaching up over the table. One of them seemed to be imbedded in his wrist.

Slowly, Sonic lifted the wired hand, his wide eyes examining the point where metal met flesh. He couldn't feel the wires. The rest of his nerves seemed to be functioning properly, but as he gingerly prodded his wrist he felt absolutely nothing. He swallowed thickly, trying to push his slowly mounting panic into the back of his mind.

What had Eggman done to him?

After prodding a little more, Sonic soon noticed that the wires were also connected to his other hand, as well as the back of both elbows. These were draped across the table and seemed to disappear behind him. Following the wires with his eyes, Sonic turned slowly, careful not to shift them too much. He had no idea what would happen or how it would feel if they were suddenly yanked out.

As he shifted, a new sound reached his ears. Rustling. Experimentally, he moved again, listening for the strange sound, trying to pinpoint it's location. It seemed to be coming from behind him, but whenever he turned, the sound turned with him, almost as though…Sonic suddenly went rigid as a thought crossed his mind.

His heart pounding, he felt behind him, his hands running across his back. As he searched, Sonic came across more and more wires. They were all connected to the back of his joints, except for the twelve clusters on his back, traveling in a row up his spine. Oh, and there was one on his neck, imbedded in the back of his scull.

Sonic felt sick. He started panicking. How long had he been out? What were all these wires for? The ones in his scull obviously had something to do with his mind…The hedgehog clenched his eyes shut, imagining everything Eggman could've done to him while he was out. He had done _something_, if these wires were any indication.

He swallowed again, feeling terror raking inside him. A familiar feeling buzzed in his limbs, urging them to _move_. Those wires _anchored_ him, bolted him down, held him _still_. He was _trapped_. He needed to _escape_. He needed to _run_. He needed to _get out_!

He needed to _breath_. Sonic shut his eyes and sighed, long and low. With experienced patience, he carefully relaxed himself, little by little, breath by breath. On many occasions, this reckless hunger for action saved his life. Now, however, he needed to _think_. He sat there on the table, not moving. One minute passed. Then another. Then another. After awhile, his muscled unclenched, loosened. His heart rate slowed. _Deep breaths…In…Out…In…Out…._

He could never keep his hands from shaking, though. The nervous energy was smoothed out, but it could never be fully controlled. Fortunately, this never really posed a problem.

Sonic leaned forward and closed his eyes. Okay. He was in a small room. Now what? Sonic's eyes studied the featureless room he was in, incomprehensively. A strange fog had settled over his hind, and his thoughts seemed to blend together.

Okay. He was wired into the wall. Right. His was in a room, one he couldn't escape. Oh, that was it! Escape. He needed to escape. How should he escape? Sonic groaned, messaging his temple. What was wrong with him? Normally, escape routs, obstacles, and even possible threats immediately jumped out at him. Now, he felt…exhausted. Not physically, but _mentally_. It hurt to _think_.

_Man, where's Tails when you need him?_

He looked around the room again, pointlessly, trying to comprehend his surroundings. He couldn't concentrate; every time he tried to focus on something, his vision blurred and shifted. Where was he, again? It should be obvious…It was staring him right in the face! What _had_ Eggman done to his head? Eggman. _Eggman_. Right. Eggman brought him here. _Duh_.

_Come on, man. You get knocked out in Eggman's base, and you wake up wired to the wall. Not that hard. _

As his mind started making logical connections, he felt the fog slowly begin to lift. Slowly, but surely, it became easier to concentrate. Details started popping out. Little things. Little things were important.

_Focus, man._

Okay, so he needed to escape. He couldn't see any way out. He shook his head lightly. One step at a time. He wasn't going anywhere hooked to the wall.

So step one was…remove the wires. It was logical enough. _Start with the wrists_, he thought. _Free your hands_.

It wasn't until he'd already gotten a good grip on said wires that his brain told him this was going to hurt. A lot.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and started to pull.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

In an entirely different room, Robotnic frowned, irritated as he took in the flashing lights before him. Blast that hedgehog…It seemed he was awake.

Metal appeared beside him, standing at a respectful distance, his glowing red eyes staring strait ahead. "Master," his robotic voice droned. "The alarms-"

"Yes, I know."

The robot waited patiently for an order, and when none came, he quietly asked. "What would you have me do?" Metal was, for once, glad that his voice portrayed no emotion, else his master might've detected a hint of eagerness in it. He'd been maintaining the experiment constantly since Sonic's capture a few weeks ago, and was looking forward to finally doing what he'd been built for. In his own, unspoken opinion, he'd been idle far too long.

His master was silent a moment longer, and Metal waited patiently. "Metal," Robotnic murmured, and the robot was instantly listening.

"Yes Master?"

"It's time."

"'Time', Master?"

"Time to wake the experiment."

The robot felt disappointment hover around him, but he refused to let it settle. He had known this would happen eventually. It wasn't a surprise. Even so, he had hoped to have one last mission, to serve Robotnic one last time before... "Yes master," Metal responded, bowing respectfully, and obediently turned and left.

As the door whirred shut, Robotnic frowned, observing the readings once more. "Hmmmm…." He murmured. Perhaps he should send…but then, what would be the fun in that? A moment's more thought, and he'd made his decision, typing in commands to his computer. He'd wanted to test his experiment, hadn't he?

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

"Ah," Sonic gasped, breathing in sharply at the pain prickled his skin. He paused a moment, letting it fade slightly, before again checking the fresh wound. There was a tiny bead of blood pooling from where the wire had once been, lodged into the back of his knee

The hedgehog closed his eyes again, trying to control his shaking hands. He had no idea what Eggman had done to him. It was so…so…_disturbing_.

He took a deep breath, released it. Right. Almost done. He'd removed most of the wires without much difficulty, and the strange numbness did wonders to lessen his pain.

The ones on his back and neck, though, would be a problem. From what he could tell, the wires were attached to his spine. He didn't know much about his own anatomy, but enough to know it'd be bad if he damaged that particular bone. Very bad. Paralyzed bad. And then there was the one in his scull…He could easily kill himself removing that one.

Sonic frowned, trying to think through the problem. This was Tails' thing, not his: thinking things through. He himself was an action person; he got things done. His little brother, however, could sit for hours. He would plan things out long into the night, the _whole_ night if need be. Sonic would usually enter his workshop the next morning to find him asleep at his desk, diagrams and blueprints spread out before him.

He smiled slightly. Tails had known. He'd recognized the trap and had urged them to head back. Sonic should have listened from the very beginning, before they'd even entered the base. If he had, he wouldn't be…

He swallowed, his mind coming back to his current problem, then frowned and shook his head. Well, he had one more wire to remove before he had to deal with the ones behind him. He sighed and reached down to grasp the one on his ankle

Sharp pain traveled up his leg as the wire suddenly jerked itself out. Sonic watched in shock as the once dormant wire suddenly came alive, writhing and twitching like a wounded snake. That wire had just…pulled itself out. Then, what about…Cautiously, he reached behind him and gently probed the wires on his back. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes in relief.

_Good, _he thought. _That would've really-_

Sonic suddenly lurched forward as the wires in his head started twitching, shifting. Disconnecting.

_Hurt_.

After a moment, he blinked, confused. It actually wasn't that bad. It was a weird feeling. He was still numb and strangely desensitized, but he could feel the wires shifting themselves, preparing to…to…

Sonic's back arched, his eyes wide as the wires suddenly yanked themselves out, all at once. He barely noticed as they all slivered back toward the wall, pulling themselves back through the panel. He sat there a moment longer, frozen in shock, then collapsed, shivering onto the table.

_**Ow.**_

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Robotnic grinned, watching from the computer screens and his enemy trembled on the table, helpless as an infant. Priceless.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

It took several minutes for Sonic to start moving again. He felt like he'd just been dipped in molten lava; every inch of him burned. The parts of his body that were once numb now buzzed as the nerves suddenly awoke from their temporary slumber. Ow. Ow. Owowowowow.

Sonic sat up slowly, clenching his eyes shut, waiting for the pain to pass, as he knew it would. _Breath in….Breath out….Breath in…Breath out…_

Eventually, the fire became a dull throb. Oh, he was going to ache for _days_ after this. He groaned, annoyed, and stood.

_**THUD.**_

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

In the computer room, Robotnic laughed, watching his most powerful, feared enemy fall flat on his face.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

"_Ow_." Grumbling, Sonic pushed himself off the floor, onto his elbows. Huh. His legs didn't seem to be working right. He froze, rewinding his sentence. Had…Had Eggman…_paralyzed _him? The feeling rose up inside him again, and Sonic closed his eyes, once more forcing himself to relax. _You don't know that_, he told himself. _You probably just haven't used them in awhile._ He ground his teeth nervously at the thought. How long had he even _been_ here, anyway?

_Long enough for Eggman to paralyze you._ Sonic groaned. _I don't __**know**__ that!___he repeated . Slowly, carefully, he tried once again to stand. At first, his legs didn't seem to want to obey his commands, but after awhile, he managed to move to a kneeling position. Sonic sighed. His arms had shaken with the effort of holding himself up. Those wires had really taken it out of him.

After several minutes of struggling, shaking, and falling, Sonic finally managed to stand. He groaned. He couldn't escape like this! His legs felt like noodles. Sighing, Sonic stretched and began walking around the room, trying to wake up his muscles.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

On the other side of the base, Metal typed in the last few commands, putting the finishing touches on his master's precious creation. The robot paused a moment, editing 'precious' out of his previous thought. It made him sound bitter. Robots didn't get bitter.

He pressed the release valve and waited as the creation's containment vessel slowly opened. The creature inside stood still for a moment, blinking it's bright green eyes. Then, it stepped out of the capsule and stretched.

Metal immediately began instructing it, as he'd been ordered. "You are Robotnic's creation," he informed it, "And are therefore bound to-"

"Follow his every command and be forever in his service," the creature completed flatly, sounding bored. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I was programmed with the rules, same as you. What, do I have to recite a pledge or something?"

Metal's eyes flickered with annoyance, the closest he could get to a frown. He didn't like this. Not at all. Everything about it was wrong. "No," he answered, though he recognized the question to be rhetorical. He bowed his head slightly, showing respect as he'd been instructed, acknowledging its higher ranking. "Master has an assignment for you."

Metal saw the creatures eyes brighten, and its expression became eager, almost dangerous. "Oh?" it responded, grinning. "What would that be then?"

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Sonic was thrilled. His paralysis seemed to be wearing off! He still felt a little light-headed and was definitely weaker that he used to be, but every step he took renewed his strength.

With his exercise, another side-effect made itself known. He was _starving_. Now that the pain from the wires had nearly faded, he could feel hunger gnawing at his insides. Actually, his hunger would explain his weakened state…When was the last time he'd eaten…or _been fed_? He paused in his walking to touch his neck gingerly. He hadn't remembered there being any tube stuck down his throat, but it burned steadily, so he guessed something had been there at one point or another.

Sonic sighed, feeling revolted again, and glanced around the room. Now that he had his strength back, more-or-less anyway, he had focus on getting out. He frowned, staring hard at the door. He hadn't been able to break through this door before, so he doubted he'd be able to this time.

He narrowed his eyes, thinking, then jumped back in surprise as the door suddenly slid open. For a moment, he just stared at the open door, confused. Then he frowned again and glanced around the room, searching for cameras. There were none. Well, none _visible _anyway. Right. Either someone was on their way, or he was being led into a trap. Again.

He sighed. Well, there was only one way to find out…

He stepped through the door and immediately rushed down the nearest hallway. He had no idea where he was, but that didn't matter very much to him. Usually, if he kept running in the same direction, bursting through whatever wall got in his way, he would eventually find his exit.

Unless he came across a wall like the one used for his cell. He frowned, clenching his fists as a thought shot through his head. That metal was the first Eggman had produced that was strong enough to hold him in. If he started making everything from that metal, like his robots, for instance…

He shook his head slightly, dislodging the thought from the front of his mind. _One step at a time_, he reminded himself.He would cross that bridge when he came to it, maybe discuss it with Tails. As soon as he got out of here.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't see the figure waiting, shrouded in shadow, until it suddenly rammed into him, effectively knocking the air from his lungs. He hit the ground, skidding with his momentum as the thing leapt back. Sonic was on his feet before he stopped sliding, rolling and pushing himself up with lightning speed.

He was winded, though, and had to pause for a moment to catch his breath. Still weak. Jeeze, those wires had really-

Sonic's brain short-circuited as his attacker suddenly blurred into focus. Noticing his shock, the…thing folded it's arms, casually leaning against the wall as it smirked at him.

This was…wrong. So very, very wrong.

It was an abomination.

It shouldn't exist.

Sonic's heart hammered in his chest as the realization of what the creature was sunk into his skin. He stared at its green eyes, its blue fur, its toothy grin. A perfect replica. Of himself.

The clone grinned, watching with amusement as horror filled Sonic's features. "Hello."

**Me:**** I know I've been dormant awhile, but I came back, as I always will. The title makes sense now, doesn't it? **

**Quick question: Has anyone read a 'Sonic clone' story before? I don't mean Shadow or Metal Sonic; I mean an actual honest-to-God **_**clone**_**. I know there must be a **_**few**_** out there, but I could only find one. *pouts* **

**Anyway, I incorporate reader's advice into the story ALL THE TIME. So, if you've got anything AT ALL to say, I'd **_**love**_** to hear from you. It's the reason I'm writing online: FEEDBACK. Now, go press the shiny blue button at the end of this ridiculously long arrow. **

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	3. Escape

**Me:**** FireWolfHeart, you were my inspiration. I didn't thing **_**anyone**_** really cared about this story! Thanks for the review AND the vote of confidence. I appreciate it. Enjoy, my friend!**

_The clone grinned, watching with amusement as horror filled Sonic's features. "Hello."_

It was talking to him. Sonic watched, horrified, as the his own voice came out of its mouth. Out of _his_ mouth.

Sonic couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. He felt light-headed. It's voice only solidified the heavy truth slowly sinking into him. He staggered back subconsciously, suddenly off-balance.

It smirked again, it's impossible emerald eyes glowing with humor. "Seriously, dude, _breathe_. It'll be no fun taking you down if you just pass out."

Sonic again didn't respond, still in shock. Slowly, he stood upright, getting the eerie feeling he was looking in to a mirror. A twisted, haunted mirror that didn't follow his movements. Like a scene from a horror movie.

"Well?" the clone demanded, dropping easily into a fighting stance, one Sonic instantly recognized as his own. "We gonna fight or what? Come on, dude; the good doctor's waiting."

As though on cue, Eggman's voice resounded through the loudspeakers. "_What do you think of my newest creation, Sonic?_" he jeered.

That voice, that sentence, held a calming familiarity. Sonic paused a split second, gathering his scattered mind, and forced himself to relax, dropping into his fighting stance, his eyes locked on the clone. "I think you need to get yourself a new hobby," he replied. His tone was light and jesting, but his stance said otherwise. He frowned, his face drawn and serious as his tone dropped to artic temperatures. "You gone too far this time, Ivo."

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Watching and listening from his vantage in the computer room, Ivo Robotnic paused in a moment of rare hesitation. Sonic had called him by his first name. He could count the times his rival had done that on one hand.

He'd officially crossed the line. Robotnic frowned, unperturbed. It was to be expected. Indeed, Sonic's reaction to his clone was a part of the scientist's experiment, but…His head bowed slightly and he scanned his screen.

The last time he'd crossed the line, he'd accidentally caused the death of a small child. It hadn't been a part of the plan, but it was an unfortunate consequence nonetheless. It also wasn't something Sonic would put up with.

He remembered rushing back to his base and putting it on maximum security. He remembered the unnerving ease with which the hedgehog had broken through. Robotnic's security demolished, Sonic had walked right up to him. Ivo had been able to do nothing but stand there, completely defenseless. Then, the hedgehog had left, and Robotnic realized that had been a warning. He'd broken through simply to show that he _could_.

Robotnic frowned, studying the information before him. He'd have to be extremely careful this time, be rid of his rival quickly. If all went according to plan, the clone would soon be disposed of and Sonic would have no memory of the experience.

But then, things hadn't exactly been going to plan already. With the way things were going, he honestly didn't know what to expect. Choosing his words carefully, he leaned into the mike.

XXxxXXxxXXxxXX

"_Stop stalling!_" came Eggman's voice from over the loudspeaker, obviously addressing the clone. "_We need to dispose of him quickly, before he regains his strength._"

"Yeah, yeah," the clone muttered, rolling his eyes and starting towards Sonic. The hedgehog immediately turned and retreated, dashing down the hall as fast as his weakened state would allow him. Stall. He needed to stall. If it was anyone else, he would've faced them, and probably defeated them.

Sonic wasn't stupid. If he faced off against this clone, he'd be taken down in a matter of seconds, especially if he took his own fighting style into consideration. So, he ran, and prayed the clone wasn't enough of a copy to keep up. Eggman hadn't been able to match his speed yet. Maybe…

The copy rammed into him, slamming his body into a wall. Pain flashed through him like fire, spreading from his sores on his back. Sonic bit back a scream. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he was back up in an instant, his feet pushing himself off the wall he'd dented and down the corridor.

He'd barely gotten a hundred yards before he was rammed again, this time from the side. He was up again and running, not letting himself think about the pain. A third time, he was slammed against the wall. A fourth. A fifth. Still, Sonic ran, unable to do much else, going mostly on instinct now.

Somewhere in the back of his panicked mind, he knew his body, powerful as it was, could only take so much. Especially when he was so weak…A sixth crash sent him through the wall, into the next room. He had trouble getting up. His shoulder was dislocated.

Slowly, he pushed against the floor with one arm, the other tucked at his side as he sat up. Darkness tugged at the corners of his vision. He fought it, struggling to stand. The clone leaned against the broken wall, watching him with a mocking smile. "Too easy," he gloated.

**WHACK!**

THUD.

Sonic watch with mild shock as his copy suddenly rather violently hit the floor. Behind him, her shoulders heaving and her hammer raised in mid swing, stood the snarling form of Amy Rose.

The battered hedgehog nearly collapsed at the sight of her, relief flowing through him like a stream in the desert. Amy. He'd never been so happy to see her. His friends were here. Tails. Tails would know what to do. Was he further back?

Struggling, Sonic managed to get to his feet. He immediately felt dizzy, and staggered slightly, panting. "Amy," he began, looking up at her gratefully. "Where is-"

"Prove it."

Sonic's eyes widened slightly as Amy's hammer was suddenly pointed at him. She hadn't relaxed. She was still tense, ready to fight. "…What?"

"Prove that you're Sonic."

"Prove that…" Sonic's eyes widened as her words registered. "Oh." He frowned, fighting fatigue and frustration. It was a perfectly justified request. She had no way of knowing he was the real deal. For a moment, Sonic let himself imagine her trusting his clone and bringing _it_ back instead, not realizing that Sonic was still trapped.

Yes, he was grateful. Nice thinking Amy. Still, he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand. Blasted wires. He focused on her, looking her in the eyes, and chose his words carefully. "What do you want to know?"

Her expression flickered for a moment, and there was a minute of silence as she thought it over. She had to ask him something Eggman wouldn't know about, something just between the two of them. "Think back six years, back on Earth. We were visiting a beach there and I gave you something." She hesitated. "What was it?"

Sonic smiled a little at the memory. He turned his wrist slightly, feeling the weight of her gift still hanging there, tucked under his glove, even after all this time. In his opinion, it had worked pretty well so far. "You gave me this shell bracelet, to 'protect me in the water'."

She nodded satisfactorily and shifted her weight, but didn't lower her weapon. "Do you still have it?"

Trick question. Sonic grinned at her craftiness. Yes, he did still have it, but he knew that wasn't the correct answer, the one she expected. "It was smashed by a robot right after you gave it to me." She didn't know he'd fixed it.

Amy's hostility evaporated immediately and she lowered her weapon, looking suddenly tired. "Sonic." She smiled. "You okay?"

He gave her a dry look. "Do I _look_ okay?" On cue, another wave of dizziness hit him and he staggered as the room started moving. He felt a hand steady him.

"What happened?" Amy asked, sounding concerned. He felt her eyes looking him over, knew she was examining him.

Sonic chuckled, and his insides throbbed in protest. "Well, let's just say I met my match. Literally." Sonic glanced down at the copy, unconscious on the floor. "Jeeze, Amy. When did you start hitting so hard?"

Amy took a moment to respond, her eyes on the clone. "Huh? Oh, uh," she shrugged, smiling slightly. The smile disappeared as she looked him over again. "Sonic, what's wrong with your arm?"

"What?…Oh." Sonic glanced at said arm. "It's fine."

"It's dislocated, isn't it?"

"…A little."

Amy sighed. "Hold still."

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"Resetting it."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. Do you want it to heal like this?"

"Well, _no_, but-"

"Then hold still."

"Hey, wait-Hold it!-**Ow!**" Sonic groaned and grit his teeth. Great, now his arm was on fire again. Swallowing back a whimper, he rested his forehead on her shoulder, waiting for the pain to pass.

He could feel Amy's eyes on him. "What did he do to you?"

Sonic studied her curiously. Her voice was low and it trembled slightly when she spoke. It took him a moment to realize she was angry. Forcing himself to stand up strait, Sonic smiled at her encouragingly, about to tell her he'd be fine. Then he remembered the wires. He bit his lip and looked past her, toward the hall. "Tails would know," he replied, suddenly desperate to hear his brother's side of things, to be reassured. "Where is he? Did you guys spread out or something?"

Amy shook her head slightly. "No. It's just me." At his frown, she added, "He thinks you were just on a really long run. You've done that before you know, disappearing for weeks."

He nodded, pushing the hurt aside. Of course he wouldn't have looked for him. He'd only been gone…A chill swept through him as a word suddenly registered. _Weeks_. "Amy?" He paused and cleared his throat. "Uh…How long have I been gone?"

Amy looked at him curiously. "I don't know. How long do you think you were on your run before he caught you?"

"Amy…"

A loud thump interrupted him. They both started, and Amy suddenly went tense, all business again. "Never mind, Sonic. We can figure it out later. Come on, we need to get you out of here."

Sonic nodded distractedly while Amy slung his good arm around her shoulder and led him through the hole in the wall. _Weeks…_

As they passed the copy, Amy paused. "What about him?"

Sonic glared the creature on the ground. "_It_ can't be left here. That _thing_ has my abilities, Amy. At least as far as I can tell. _And_ it's working for Eggman. Not a very good combination."

Amy nodded, thinking. "So we need to take it with us?"

Sonic frowned, suddenly nervous. "I dunno…what if it wakes up?"

Amy shook her head. "We don't have a choice. We can't leave it here." She looked him over. "Think you can walk?"

Sonic grinned. "Depends. Think you can carry this thing?"

Amy gave him a dry look, held up her hammer, and dropped it.

**THUNK**

The metal beneath it dented. Sonic looked at it warily. "Uh, exactly how much does that thing weigh?"

"More than you."

"…Right."

Amy reached down and hoisted the copy over her shoulders. "Come on."

"I dunno, maybe you should hit it again."

"Sonic."

"You know, just in case."

"Sonic!"

"What?" He gave her his most innocent look, then completely spoiled it by grinning. Man, it felt good to joke again.

She rolled her eyes, then headed down the corridor. Sonic limped after her, determined to keep up.

XXXxxxXXXxxxXXX

"So you guys carried that thing the whole way?" Tails stared at Sonic's duplicate, now sprawled out on a table in Tails' garage/lab/workshop. An oxygen mask had been secured over its face, pumping him with a steady supply of…that sleeping gas they used at hospitals. Sonic couldn't remember the name.

He collapsed on the nearest couch, face first, indicating that he was too tired to respond. Amy smiled slightly and spoke for him. "Well, the taxi was tempting, but we weren't sure how to explain our extra passenger."

Tails was no longer listening, his eyes on Sonic's back. "Chaos…Sonic, what did he _do_ to you?"

Sonic groaned, trying to merge his face into the couch. _Sleep now. Talk later._

"He was fighting the duplicate when I found him," he heard Amy say. "He was really getting kicked around." She paused. "Sonic, was that thing…stronger than you?"

Sonic found the strength to lift his head and send her an annoyed look. He'd just hiked six miles after getting the stuffing beat out of him and she wanted to discuss this _now_? He sighed. Of course they'd want answers. "No," he muttered. "Eggman stuck these wires in me that sucked out my strength. As far as I can tell, anyway."

"_Wires_?" Tails repeated, sounding horrified.

_Yes, wires,_ he though moodily._ It's just __**terrible**__, isn't it? _"Yeah," he said instead, trying to be cordial. "I practically had to re-teach myself to walk."

He watched uncomfortably as Tails kneeled beside him, eyes on his wounds. "These wounds travel up your spine, all the way up to…" He froze, his eyes widening, and Sonic knew he was looking at the wound on neck.

He sighed. "Yeah, the wires were in my head too. Felt them there when they-Ow!"

"Sorry," Tails apologized, jerking his hand back, then winced. "That must've really hurt."

_No kidding, Sherlock._ Sonic winced at the biting sarcasm in his thoughts. He needed sleep. Now.

Amy frowned and slipped out of the room. Sonic's eyes followed her as she left. Tails watched his gaze and grinned. "Man, must've been a real pain, being rescued by _Amy_. I'm really sorry I wasn't there to keep her off your back."

For some reason, that comment annoyed him. He frowned slightly, then wondered why. "Nah, it was fine. She wasn't that bad." _Actually_, he mused, _She didn't bother me at all._ _Weird. _He looked over to where she'd disappeared again, wondering where she'd gone.

Tails was still scanning his wounds. "Why would he…If these...then…But would it connect…?" He frowned and looked Sonic in the eyes. "I need to know _exactly_ where the wires were."

_Sleep!_ his brain cried. He sighed, forcing himself to comply. "Well, most of them were-"

"On second thought," Tails interrupted, sitting in a nearby chair and folding his hands in front of him, "Start at the beginning. Tell me everything."

"Now?" Sonic whined, exhausted.

Tails nodded, all business. "Now."

He groaned.

**Me:**** Oh, poor Sonic! Believe me, I know how he feels. I spent THREE DAYS from DAWN TILL DUSK working on my STUPID Spanish final! When it was over, my friends wanted to hang. No way José. I. Needed. **_**Sleep**_**.**

**Also, as of this moment, I didn't get a **_**single**_** response to my previous question! Does **_**anyone**_** know of any other Sonic-clone stories? Specifically, perfect-replica ones? 'Cause I only know of **_**one**_**. **

**Anyway, I incorporate reader's advice into the story ALL THE TIME. So, if you've got anything AT ALL to say, I'd **_**love**_** to hear from you. It's the reason I'm writing online: FEEDBACK. Now, go press the shiny blue button at the end of this ridiculously long arrow. **

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	4. The Copy

**Me:**** I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. **

Sonic woke up shivering, his dream slowly fading. He'd dreamed the copy had taken his place. His friends had believed that _it_ was Sonic, and that _he_ was the imposter. He closed his eyes wearily. _Just a dream…_

When he opened them again, Amy was sitting in the chair across from him, and for a split second, he caught her expression. Her eyes were dark, though there was a strange fire in them. She'd never looked more serious. Then, it was gone. "You're awake." She stood and walked over to him, kneeling down beside the couch and smiling. "How you feeling?"

He glanced around nervously, searching for the clone. It was gone. Tails must have moved it. He refocused on Amy. "Peachy." He grunted, slowly sitting up. He sent her a grin. "You?"

She smiled, ignoring his question. "Don't worry so much. Tails will figure it out."

"Who's worried, you or me?"

"Both."

Her answer surprised him. He raised an eyebrow, giving her a look. "I'm not worried."

"Oh, don't give me that," Amy chided, smacking him lightly. "No one can look a perfect replica of themselves in the face and _not_ be concerned. Besides, you were mumbling in your sleep." She rolled her eyes at his attempt at bravery. "_Men_. Honestly!"

Sonic flushed. "Uh…What did I say?"

Amy shrugged, standing. "Not a clue. The look on your face said enough, though." She started heading for the door, then paused and glanced back at him. Her expression softened. "You looked desperate."

As she disappeared through the doorway, Sonic reverently wished that the couch would swallow him. He hated showing fear. People were supposed to look up to him. He needed to be strong for them. A 'desperate' Sonic couldn't really encourage anyone.

Amy returned moments later, a small white box in her hands. Sonic glanced up, curious. "What's that?" he asked.

She kneeled beside him again. "It's for your wounds."

Sonic frowned. "Amy, I'm…"

"Sonic, you are _not _fine. These need to be treated." Her tone left no room for argument.

He sighed and turned to lie on the couch, exposing his back. Amy gave a satisfactory nod, though she couldn't hide her smile. "Alright, hold-"

"Hold still," Sonic interrupted dryly. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not going anywhere." Sonic sighed, then flinched as Amy carefully applied…something…to his wounds. He grit his teeth and searched for something to distract himself. His eyes fell upon Amy's face, eyes narrow with concentration. He could tell she was being gentle. She also looked angry.

Sonic blinked in confusion. "Ames?"

She glanced at him. Her hard expression vanished.

"What's up?" Sonic asked, concerned. "You look…uh…pretty mad." He shifted nervously, praying it wasn't his fault. No one in their right mind made Amy mad. She was sort of…extreme.

At his question, the girl froze a second, then laughed nervously. "Oh, it's nothing…"

He grinned. "Right, like my dislocated shoulder was nothing."

"Oh, so you _admit_ it now?"

"Amy…"

Amy sighed. "Really, it's nothing. I'm just…" Her eyes returned to his wounds and her expression hardened again. "I just…_really_ hate that clone for doing this to you." She shook her head. "Forget it."

Sonic resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she continued cleaning his wounds. _Yup…She's __**still**__ got a crush on me._ The hedgehog sighed and watched her again. Actually, he'd recently been starting to think she didn't like him anymore. At least…not like _that_. She certainly hadn't mentioned it in awhile. When she got mad like this, though, it was just _so _obvious.

Still…

Sonic turned away, suppressing a grin. For some reason, he'd always found her protective nature humorous.

"Alright, that should do it," Amy told him, interrupting his train of thought. She leaned back a little, looking him over. "Yeah, that's about all I can do." She reached into her kit again. "Here, sit up for a sec so I can bandage them."

Sonic complied with a groan. "Do you _have_ to? I don't want to walk around looking like a mummy."

Amy gave him a dry look.

He sighed, sitting up fully and raising his arms.

"Thank you." Amy grinned as she started wrapping the cloth around his middle. "Most of your wounds can heal by themselves, but the ones on your spine need to be protected, at least for awhile."

Sonic eyed her grin wearily. "What's so funny?"

Amy shook her head, still smiling. "You're just such a _child _sometimes."

"Look who's talking."

"Well, I _am_ eighteen now."

"You say that as if it's something to be proud of."

"It _is_. I'm officially an adult now."

"So?" Sonic jerked a thumb at his chest. "I've been an adult for three years."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Officially, yes. _Mentally_, however…"

"Hey!"

Tails burst into the room to see the two playfully glaring at each other. "Sonic, come quickly."

Sonic's smile vanished instantly. He focused on his brother, all business. "What is it, Tails?"

The teenage fox looked frightened. "It's the copy. I think it's waking up."

"What?" Sonic cried, suddenly on his feet. "How can…Oh shoot…" He groaned, one hand messaging his brow.

Amy hurriedly clipped the bandage in place, looking at him curiously. "What is it?" she asked.

Sonic shook his head as he followed Tails out the door. "It's me," he explained to Amy as she trotted after him. "I've been hit with so much sleeping gas in my lifetime that it doesn't really affect me anymore. It takes a lot more to knock me out than the average person."

Tails led them down a flight of stairs, to an even lower part of the workshop. Sonic mentally congratulated him. His little brother had known what he was doing, keeping the copy down here. This place looked a lot more secure.

He was even more impressed when the door to the clone's room had to be heaved open. It was huge. "Jeeze, Tails," Sonic grunted, pushing against the giant door. "What do you keep in here?"

"Usually?" The fox dusted himself off. "Explosives." At Sonic's look, the teen raised an eyebrow. "What? What did you think the Tornado's missiles were made out of? Air?" He rolled his eyes, typed in another password, and ushered them through the final door. "Come on."

"Even _I_ couldn't get out of here…," Sonic grumbled.

Tails grinned back at him. "_Exactly_."

All conversation stopped as they entered the room. It was made entirely out of metal-or at least what _looked_ like metal-and had nothing in it but a few lights, a bulky, beeping machine, and a small table. Lying on the table, groaning and shifting, was the clone.

Amy frowned hard as Tails typed in a code on his small hand-held computer, closing the doors behind them. "What do we do now?"

Sonic glanced over at his brother. "You need to give it more gas. The dose isn't strong enough."

"Yeah, I can see that," Tails muttered, fiddling with his computer. "How much?"

Sonic sighed. "Try enough to down a full-grown elephant. We'll start with that, see how it goes."

Amy stared at him. "You really _have_ built up an immunity."

A groan from the table diverted everyone's attention. The clone had removed its gas mask. It sat up slowly, then rested on one elbow and held its head. "Ohhhh…Anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?"

Amy immediately took out her hammer. "Try anything and that 'truck' is coming around for a second go."

The clone opened one eye to look at her bemusedly. "Seriously? I got decked by a girl?" It frowned, studying her. "Oh right…You're Sonic's girl. Amy, wasn't it?"

The pink hedgehog colored a little at the reference, but her eyes narrowed and she raised the hammer threateningly.

The clone held its hand up in surrender. "Woah, hey, easy there! Relax, Ames. I'm not doing anything." It grinned. "My assignment was to take out your boyfriend 'before he escapes'. Technically, he's escaped, so…"

Tails glared at him. "Right, like you're just going to give up."

The clone snorted. "Why the heck not? I did what he told me to." It sat up fully and groaned, dropping its head in its hands. "Ugh…remind me never to make her angry. What've you got stuffed in that hammer? A refrigerator?"

Amy twirled said hammer expertly. "More like a Volkswagen."

Sonic's throat was dry. This clone was acting _exactly_ like him. Every detail, every action, every relaxed, teasing _grin_ was like looking into a _mirror_. The familiar way Amy was arguing with it was getting on his nerves. Just how easy would it have been for this thing to replace him? Would they even have known…?

Sonic held up his hands, trying to wrap him mind around what the imposter was saying. "Hold on. Eggman installs a failsafe in everything he creates. You can't just _stop_ obeying him."

The copy raised an eyebrow. "Chaos did."

_What?_ Sonic thought, bewildered. _How did he know about…?_

Tails shook his head at the reference. "That water monster wasn't created by Eggman, only taken control of. He just broke off the control." He narrowed his eyes. "_You_ can't do that."

"Nope," the clone agreed cheerfully, raising its hands. "Ya caught me. The good doctor programmed me with a bunch of rules." It stared at the ceiling, counting on its gloved fingers. "I've gotta follow his every command, be 'forever in his service', and not destroy any of my fellow creations."

_It looks so bored_, Sonic thought. Almost like he himself when he was told to repeat back Tails numerous 'safety tips'.

The clone frowned, removing its shoe and shaking the pebbles out of it. "Which stunk, 'cause that metal hedgehog was being a real pain. 'Are you not aware of the _gravity_ of the situation?' 'It's vital that you do not _stray from you task._' Yah. Dee. Yah. _Dah_." It replaced its shoe and grinned. "Fortunately, he never told me I couldn't leave the base. And, _technically_, I'm not really required to kill you or anything. Mr. All-Hail-Robotnik is the one with the orders to kill ya on sight. Me? I'm just supposed to get you 'before you escape'." His grin widened. "Ha! So there."

The clone launched into a stretch, looking very proud of itself, and Sonic wished, not for the first time, that he'd never met the thing. The reason now was entirely different. The truth was, Sonic was starting to have trouble thinking of it as an enemy. It was nothing like the robots he usually fought. They were straightforward; destroy them before they kill you. This one, however, seemed to have a mind of its own. It even seemed…rebellious. Just like Sonic.

He glanced worriedly at his friends and could see the same struggle displayed across their features. Especially Tails.

The clone leaned forward, looking Sonic up and down. "So, _you're_ the original, huh?" It raised an eyebrow, its eyes flicking back and forth between the hedgehog's numerous wounds. "You look like _you've_ seen better days."

Sonic's glare returned as he folded his arms. "You rammed me through a wall," he reminded it viciously.

"Yup." The clone shrugged, looking completely unapologetic. "Sorry 'bout that. Just doing my duty." It rolled its shoulder, frowning slightly. "If it makes you feel any better, ramming you is like hitting a brick wall." At the silence, the thing looked up, its gaze flicking between the three angry glares directed at it. "Hey, I'll be good now. Honest!" It shrugged nonchalantly, standing. "Just keep me away from the good doctor and I shouldn't be a problem." Frowning, it looked Sonic in the eye and folded its arms, leaning against the table. "Believe me; I don't like taking orders any more than you do."

It seemed completely serious. Sonic looked away, his resolve cracking. He needed to get away from this thing, to think. "Tails."

The fox turned toward him, startled. "Uh, yeah?"

"Open the door will you? Amy, keep an eye on it. Make sure it _stays_."

Amy nodded, her hammer ready as Tails typed in the password.

The clone actually looked offended. "Hey, what gives? You're seriously just gonna _leave_ me here?"

Sonic focused on the wall, refusing to meet its eyes. "I need to talk to my brother. We'll be back later."

The clone crossed his arms again. "With _food_, I hope. I haven't had a _thing_ since that old rust bucket gave me Egghead's assignment. I'm _starving_."

Sonic, who was following Tails out the now-open door, froze, his blood chilling. Hadn't he been hungry too, right after he'd woken? For a moment, his mind started panicking, but then he rolled his eyes and shoved his fears aside. He was just paranoid. He'd been through a lot…and that _dream_ hadn't exactly helped.

_Give it a rest, man. __**He's**__ the clone, not you!_

As the door shut, Sonic glanced back at the copy, back into his own eyes, perfectly reflected, and was suddenly nervous.

_Still…_

**Me:**** *dramatic hand wavy thing* ThE plOt THicKeNS! Muahahahahaha! Now go poke the review button!**

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	5. Healing

_**Give it a rest, man. HE'S the clone, not you!**_

_As the door shut, Sonic glanced back at the copy, back into his own eyes, perfectly reflected, and was suddenly nervous. _

_**Still…**_

XXXxxxXXXxxxXXX

As the sound of the enormous door bolting shut echoed through the corridor, Tails glanced up at his brother worriedly. Sonic was staring at the door, his expression unreadable, though the fox thought he might've seen a flicker of fear. He sighed. Sonic wasn't going to like what he had to say. "So," Tails began, shifting, "That was…different." Sonic's ear flicking in his direction was the only sign he'd heard him. The fox plowed on. "I didn't expect him to be so…so…"

"Alive?" Sonic's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the look of fear intensified.

Tails nodded. "Yeah." He shrugged. "He doesn't seem to be working for Eggman. At least, not willingly…" There was a moment of quiet. Sonic set his jaw, glaring at the door as though it were the cause to all his problems.

Things had changed. Tails knew Sonic was aware of it. They weren't dealing with a robot, nor a mindless slave. This…thing, whatever it was, had a will. It had sarcasm, a sense of humor, and it seemed as rebellious as the hero himself. Before, Tails had been content to knock the copy out, to study it and perhaps find a weakness, in case Eggman decided to build more. But now…

The silence stretched on. Tails knew the clone made his brother uncomfortable. He tried to imagine what it must be like, to look yourself in the face. The fox shuddered subconsciously. It was no wonder Sonic was nervous. Still…Their original plan was no longer an option.

Tails bowed his head, trying to think of a way to suggest this to Sonic without sounding like he was betraying him. He shifted uncomfortably. The tension in the air was tangible. After a moment, the fox set his jaw and looked up at his brother, mentally prepared for the worst. "You know what I'm going to say."

Sonic surprised him by bowing his head. The hedgehog sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "We…" He paused. "We can't keep it here."

Tails blinked in surprise. He'd expected a fierce resistance from the hedgehog, for him to be the fighter he knew he was. He knew how much Sonic was against this, how much he'd loathed the clone…

His brother stayed like that for a moment, staring at the floor, a war raging in his eyes. Tails had never seen Sonic look so unsure. Then, the familiar resolve returned and he nodded to himself. His eyes met Tails. "So, what do we do?" He shook his head, beginning to pace, and Tails realized it'd been awhile since his last run. "Tails, we can't just let it go. How do we know its telling the truth? What if it really is working for Eggman?"

Tails pressed his thoughts aside and nodded seriously. "I've thought of that. Sonic, do you have any idea what his purpose is? Why did Eggman clone you?"

Sonic's eyes hardened. "Why does he ever? He wants to copy my abilities, to make something I can't win against." He paused in his pacing, shut his eyes and groaned. "This is Metal Sonic all over again."

Tails snorted. "Only _this_ one isn't a robot."

"Yeah," Sonic agreed quietly, and his eyes darkened again. "If it was, this would be a heck of a lot easier."

Tails tilted his head, studying him. Normally, his brother was the type to act on instinct. He saw the world through black and white. Either someone was good or they weren't. They either needed saving or they didn't. He was either too trusting or too suspicious. Life was simple. Justice was simple. He was always sure of what should or shouldn't be done. It was his nature.

Now, though…It seemed this clone was a bit of a wake up call. Life wasn't always that straightforward. Sometimes, you got stuck between a rock and a hard place. For once, Tails realized, Sonic was taking time to think things through instead of just rushing in. Part of the fox felt relieved. His big brother seemed to finally be growing up. Another part of him pitied the hedgehog. Now that the doors were open, now that life was no longer simple, things were bound to get a lot harder.

For the next half hour, the two stood there, Sonic restlessly pacing as they discussed what they would do. It was very new to Tails, to be able to have someone else to help him make the tough decisions. Instead of Tails trying to get Sonic to see the big picture, they _both_ tossed ideas around. Either one _or_ the other would suggest something.

Eventually, they made their decision. A _mutual _agreement. Sonic nodded, not happy, but satisfied, then took off. Tails watched him go, feeling strangely light, like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He smiled, suddenly feeling very proud. _Enjoy your run, Sonic. You've earned it_.

Shaking his head, he opened the door to inform Amy and the clone.

XXXxxxXXXxxxXXX

_Six days later…_

Sonic peered into the living room cautiously, scanning it for any signs of life. Finding none, he darted through it to the next doorway and scanned the hallway. Empty. Perfect. He frowned at the front door a mere three feet away from him. That was bound to make a lot of noise when it opened, but hopefully, by the time anyone noticed, he'd already be long gone.

"Sonic!"

The hedgehog jumped and whirled around, guilty. Amy stood at the door he'd just come from, arms folded, eyebrows raised, her expression reading a dry 'A-_hem_.' "Ah! Amy! Uh, I was just-"

"Get over here."

He hesitated, looking again at the door. It was so close…

"_Sonic_."

He sighed, walking over to Amy, his eyes on the floor. She took his arm and pulled him into the kitchen. "Sit," she ordered, pointing to a nearby stool. Sonic pulled himself onto it, grumbling as Amy sorted through the cabinets. She heated up something and he drummed against the counter impatiently. "Look, Amy, I don't really think-" Her look shut him up. He sighed, fiddling with his glove. She was in one of her inflexible moods again.

Amy finished heating her food and carefully poured it into a bowl. This, she set in front of Sonic. "Chicken soup," she announced. "Eat."

Sonic glared at the food warily.

"Sonic, you look like you expect it to jump up and attack you." She raised an eyebrow. "You can't just _stop eating_."

The blue hedgehog groaned. "I _know_…," he mumbled, pouting. That didn't mean eating would be any easier, though. The last two times he'd tried to eat, his stomach had done a complete flip and he'd immediately thrown up. Tails mentioned it was probably because of whatever Eggman had been putting into him when he was unconscious.

He frowned, remembering a recent conversation. When asked, Tails had told him how long the hedgehog had been gone. Apparently, Eggman had had him hooked up there for over four weeks, nearly a month. He still felt sick at the thought. _Four weeks_…Just what had Eggman done to him?

At his hesitation, Amy gave him a sympathetic smile. "Look, this is _chicken soup_. It's supposed to be _good_ for your stomach," she assured him, then grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, the clone is pretty much going through the same thing. Only _he_ insists we're poisoning him. As _if_." She rolled her eyes.

Sonic's stomach twisted into a knot at the mention of his double. No, it did not make him feel any better that the copy was suffering the same things he was. He didn't want to be anything like it.

Amy sighed and took out a spoon. "Here, I'll eat with you," she offered, taking a spoonful of the broth and sipping it. Sonic still hesitated. She frowned. "Sonic, pick up the spoon."

"I was just gonna-"

"Pick. Up. The spoon."

He sighed and did as he was told.

"Now take a bite."

"But what if it-"

"_Eat_."

For a few seconds, the two had a mini stare-down, emerald eyes locked into jade. Then Sonic begrudgingly complied. It actually didn't taste that bad. But then, neither had the turkey sandwich before he'd thrown it up.

Once Amy was satisfied he was eating, she continued sipping the broth. He eyed her, amused. Funny how she was always able to do this: get him to do things he didn't want to. It would be so easy for him to just take off right now, but instead, here he was, eating lunch with her. Only Amy could force to comply. He bit back a grin, smiling again.

Amy gave him a look. "What?" she demanded, suspicious.

"Nothing, _Mother_," he joked, taking another bite.

She rolled her eyes, though he could see her grin all the same. It made him feel strangely proud.

For a few minutes longer, they ate in silence. Then, Amy put down her spoon. "Oh, I almost forgot. Tails got your test results."

Sonic froze, regarding her with a critical intensity. "What did they say?"

Amy shook her head, frowning in confusion. "Absolutely nothing. Sonic, you're exactly the same as when we last saw you."

Sonic glared at her, frustrated. "You mean Eggman didn't do _anything_?" he demanded, slamming down his spoon.

She shook her head. "No. In fact, you seem to be in a better shape then you were before. Remember that big scar you got last year, when we battled Perfect Chaos?"

He stared at the counter. "…It's gone?"

"Yeah. So are the many other nicks and scratches you've acquired over the years." She shook her head, bemused. "It's almost like you never acquired them."

_Never acquired them._ Sonic repressed a shiver.

"Your only scars now are the ones you've gotten since you escaped," Amy continued. "Speaking of which, your bandages need to be changed again."

He groaned dramatically. "Great. Eating _and_ being fussed over. This is just _not _my day."

She grinned. "Sorry, but they need to be changed everyday." She stood and tossed her spoon in the sink. "Once you've finished, come meet me downstairs. And Sonic?"

He glanced up at her.

"Every drop."

The hedgehog gave her his most innocent look.

"I mean it, Sonic. You were already weak _before_ I rescued you. Now, you're just pathetic. You need _food_. Promise me you'll finish it."

He smiled affectionately. "I promise," he assured her, watching as she nodded and walked away. Once she disappeared, he turned back to his food, bemused. He'd probably had more conversations with her in the past seven days then he'd had in the six months prior.

Idly, he wondered why. Finishing the last drops of his soup, he frowned and stared at the empty bowl. It was probably because of what he'd just been through. If he didn't talk to _someone_, he was sure he'd lose his mind, and Tails was always busy. Besides, with the way things were going, he was starting to feel like a different person. Everything was so _serious_…Making Amy smile made him feel like himself again.

It wasn't that bad, really, talking with her. He smiled at the thought. It was actually kind of fun. It'd been awhile since he'd joked with someone like that.

Shaking his head, he put his dishes in the sink and headed downstairs. Amy was sitting in her usual spot, in a chair beside the couch. She smiled as he came in. "Have a seat."

He complied with a grin.

Amy eyed him warily. "…What?"

"Nothing." At her disbelieving expression, he shrugged. "I'm just in a good mood."

This explanation seemed to satisfy her. She motioned for him to raised his arms and started unwrapping his bandages. "That's good to hear. Any idea as to the source?"

Sonic went quiet as he stared at her. If he was honest with himself, he supposed _she_ was the reason for his good mood. The fact of the matter was, the past few days had been terrible for him. He spent nearly every minute worrying about his double, kept safely in the basement. It wasn't permitted to leave, but it was awake nonetheless, and therefore capable of influencing his friends.

Sonic didn't want that thing anywhere near his friends. He didn't want them to pity it, to respect it, to think of it as anything other than a feared enemy. He knew that wasn't fair, but he couldn't help himself. He felt as though his life was being taken right out from under him.

It also didn't help that his nightmares were getting worse. Just last night, he'd dreamed that he was a robot, like Metal, bound to follow his master's every whim. He remembered feeling the cool metal floor against one knee as he bowed to Robotnik, all the while thinking _'I __**have**__ to get out of here!'._ He'd woken up with a start, and hadn't been able to get back to sleep.

Now, for some reason, he was in a good mood. He smiled slightly. It was Amy. It had to be. While the world crashed down around him, he could always count on the pink hedgehog to fuss over him like she always had, to tease and grin, to roll her eyes at his childish stubbornness. It was surprising how much little things like that could be such a comfort to him.

"Sonic?"

He glanced up. Amy had paused in what she was doing, a bandage lying idle in her hands, and was peering up at him curiously.

"Are you okay?" she asked

"You are," he said, without really thinking.

She stared a moment, then gave a surprised laugh at his random declaration. "I'm okay?"

"No, I mean…" He paused. Telling her she put him in a good mood might give her the wrong idea, make her more clingy. At least, it _used_ to. Sonic internally rolled his eyes. Oh, forget it. _Let_ her misinterpret him. He really didn't care at this point.

He grinned at her. "I mean, _you're_ the reason I'm in a good mood," he clarified, then watched as she flushed and fiddled with the bandage, suddenly self-conscious. What was the big deal, anyway? Why _not_ get her flustered now and then?

He stared at her quietly as she went back to unwrapping his bandages. She'd done so much for him lately, rescuing him, patching him up, getting him to eat…A thought occurred to him. Had he ever thanked her? He doubted it. Sonic frowned. That wasn't right. "Amy."

She didn't look at him, focused on her task. "Hmm?"

"Thanks."

Her fingers stilled. For a moment, she stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, she shook her head. "You _really_ need to get some sleep, Sonic," she chided gently.

Ouch. He winced. Was his gratitude really that abnormal? He frowned again, feeling that little flame of justice in him flicker. "Amy." He took her wrists, stilling them, getting her to meet his eyes. "I'm serious. Thank you. For everything." He paused, feeling like that wasn't enough, but the way she was looking at him made him hesitant to continue. She stared at him intently, probably trying to see if he was joking. He tried to look sincere.

After a moment, she nodded and went back his bandages. He hoped that meant she believed him.

Sonic watched her quietly the rest of the time she worked. She kept glancing up at him, then snapping her gaze back to her work, as though she still couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that he'd thanked her. He couldn't believe he'd never done that before. She was his _friend_. What was wrong with him?

Amy finished unwrapping his bandages, tossing them in the wastebasket she'd dragged over. Sonic laid on his stomach without being told as she took out a bottle of ointment. He wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to really do wonders for the pain. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes as she started carefully applying it to his sores. They were healing, slowly but surely.

He loved this part. It felt _wonderful_. He sighed blissfully as Amy's gentle fingers worked through his fur, expertly avoiding his wounds. Sonic nearly fall asleep right then and there, and was disappointed when she stopped. He sighed and sat up as she reached for a clean bandage.

Amy started wrapping it carefully around him, humming slightly as she worked. When she'd finished, clipping it in place, she smiled up at him. "You're very welcome."

Sonic grinned. Yup, he was definitely having a good day.

**Me:**** That little gem sorta jumped out of nowhere, so I just ran with it, and viola! Thinking things through is helping our little hero realize a few things, huh?**

**Yeah, I had fun righting that. After all the depressing worrying, I thought people deserved a break. ;) **

**Anywho, go poke the shiny review button!**

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